Food container unit



Feb. 1a, 1936. H SCURLOCK 2,030,899

FOOD CONTAINER UNIT Filed July 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mama? LewisEBcwlac Feb. 18, 1936. H. SCURLOCK 2,030,899

FOOD CONTAINER UNIT Filed July 28, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J6 1 I W J5 Mimi 7 1: J3 g t M i I V 1! L i 9 17 I I I 6 I r I I g 6 6 14 3 I 2 7 5 Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,030,899 Fo'on comma UNIT Lewis B. Scurlock, Chicago, In. Application July 28, 1932, Serial No. 625,517

15 Claims. 7 (01. 211-77) This invention relates to containers, for food or other commodities, and more particularly to containers of this kind which are arranged in a circular group and supported on a rotary turntable, or rotary support, from which latter the containers are each removable individually without disturbing the others, whereby in eifect a rotary compartment container is provided. 7

Generally stated, one object of the invention is to provide a. novel and improved construction and arrangement whereby the containers are so arranged and mounted on the turntable, or on the rotary support, that each containercanbe grasped between the thumb and finger, with the thumb on the top of the container, and with the finger on the bottom thereof, and removed from the rotary support without letting go of the container, before the container is fully removed from the support.

2 Another object is to provide a novel construction and arrangement whereby the innerends of the containers may slide over the ball bearing or raceway, when the containers are pushed toward the vertical axis of the rotary support, and

whereby each container is correctly positioned on the rotary support, by means engaging the lower side edges of the container, and also engaging the lower outer edge of the container.

Another object is to provide a novel and im-.

proved construction and arrangement whereby the turntable or rotary support has a hole by which it may be supported on a hook, duringthe clipping of the turntable or support in the paint or enamel or other liquid with which it isto be coated, the said hole so located that the outer upstanding flanges of the rotary support, providedfor keeping the containers against outward displacement, are all in such position that they will drain freely, and thereby not accumulate an. undesirable amount of paint or enamel brother liquid thereon when the rotary support is hung up to dry. Another object is to provide a novel, and improved construction and arrangement whereby the group of containers, when in place on the rotary support, may be refrigerated, preferably by the use of a central receptacle adapted to be placed between the inner ends of the food containers, said receptacle being adapted to contain dry ice or any other refrigerating medium,

and the top of the receptacle being preferably enlarged to extend over the tops of the food containers.

It is also an object to provide certain details and specific features of construction tending to increase the general efiiciency and the-'desirability of a rotary, food container. structure, or

structure for holdingany' other commodity, of

this particular character.

To the foregoing and otheruseful ends, the invention consists in matters'hereinafter set forth and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings in which-1 Fig. 1v is a plan view of a rotary compartment container embodying'the principles of the in: 10 vention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of one of the foodcontainers, or containers for other commodities.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section-'on-line 3-3 in Fig.

1 of the drawings.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a turntable or rotary support with the food'containers omitted. 9

As thus illustrated, the inventioncomprises a sheet metal base I, provided with an annular ball race 2, and with an outward'down-turned 20 flange 3 formed to rest upon a fiat support. A ball retainer in the form of a fiat sheet metal disk 4 is provided, having holes for the balls 5, resting on top ofthe base l,iand the'turntable 6 is held in place on said base, in engagement with 25 said-disk 4, by the central bolt -'I-,-'which latter forms the pivot o'r vertical axis of theturntable thus provided.

It will be seen that said turntable is formed with marginal notches 8, and is alsoforrned with 30 up-turned flanges 9 atlts outer edges, together with radialribs l0 onthe upper surface thereof, all formed of one integral piece of sheet metal. Theyturntable or rotary support is also formed with an upper ball race ll engaging the tops of 35 said balls 5, whereby the turntable or rotary support is free to revolve easily and steadily on the ball bearingthus provided." g The food containers l2 may be of any suitable form or character, but-are preferably wedge-- 40 shaped, as sh0wn, so that they fit togetherwhen assembled on theturntable or rotarysupport, in themanner shown in the drawings. The ribs Ill engage the lower side edges" of the food containers, thereby limiting the inward insertion of each 5 container, toward the vertical axis of the turntable, these lower side edges of thecontainers being so formed that the flat sides of the containers ,will nevertheless come tight together.

The outer and upstanding flanges 9 engage-the 5o outer lower edges of the food containers, when the latter are in place, and prevent outward. displacement of the containers from the turntable the turntable, and hence food containers i2 can slide the containers are placed bnt'ainers have'ilat top covers l3, prefer n a ai y iow v eet'metal turntable or rotary support tre s-easemen with a hook or t whrebytlie sheet metal turntable befd pp' inthe paint or enamel or other liquid yiith which it is to be 'coated, It will be seentht t this hole is so located that when the turntableli's taken out of the bath, and hung up to dry, allot the tip-turned outer flanges 9 will be, at such-angles that they will drain freely and will not accumulate an undesirable amount .of

the liquid. when hung u in this way, to

there is no po tion-pr thetiirntable that is in position tbaccumulate undesirable quantity of the i id M As a matter of further and, special improvemerit, a sheet metal receptacle, or a receptacle of any'suitable ordesired niater ial, is formed with a lower vertical portion l4, adapted to min the polygonal central space formed between the inner ends of thefood containers. 'I'his'receptacleihas an ei'rpandedor enlarged top portion I5, that extends over the flat top covers of the containers, and the receptacle itself has asuitable cover IE to close the top thereof. 'A refrigerant, such as d'ryice, can be placed in this re ceptacle, thereby to keep the contents of the containers cool. K

. In the use. of the rotary compartment container thus provided, it will beseen that the notches v8 in the outeredges of the turntable permit a finger tobe placed on the bottom of each con- I tainer, and permit the thumbof the same hand tobe'placedon top of the container, whereby the container-can be raised over the flanges 9 and pulledoutwa'rd, and this is done without letting go of the container before 'it is fully displaced from the turntable In other words, the container is simply grasped between the thumb and .finger,'with the thumbbn top of the container, and the containe is thus lifted out without the necessity bt-l ttihg-go jof it until it is placed on a table for other support It will be "derstood that the food containers 5o tl2, 'oricontainers-for other'commodities, maybe ofjglasfsfor' other material.

rtsurseseeh that the containers I 2 have con- .v 'r j hgsmgrormea on lines that are radial to 'rtical axi's of the turntable, and that these N ging sides are preferably tight together when the containers are all assembled in place an the-turntable. While five containers are sh wn,'fit will be understood that the invention 't 1i ed to'any particular number. of cons, v that the number can be varied, by 'va yhig'theanglescr the converging sides of the cont'a i a without. departing from the spirit of h 4, i n- "L b 'ns'f f be seen that the-periphery is provided with depressionsfdeiining the vertical junctions or divisionsfbetwee'n the outer sides of the containers, the latter having both the'irfouter and inner edges arranged parallel with the vertical axis about which they revolve.

'shown' more clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawin ,fitwill be seen that the radial beads which are-pressed upwardly in the sheet metal of the 'iqtafv supp rt are each in line with the apex of "a peripheral notch formed in the'outer edge of j'onjjthe rotary support 6, it will or desired depth, depending on the size and shape of the container sections, and the number of the latter, and each separate flange 9 is entirely within the notch" to which it is-allotted.

Thus, in effect, the container structure comprises a plurality of. compartments, each compartment being removable independently, whereby the compartments form sections of the container construction as a whole.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a rotary container group, a flat rota sheet metal support for a group of containers, 9.

base upon which said support is pivoted to rotate about a central vertical axis, said sheet metal support having radial beads on the upper side thereof, defining the divisions between the containers, said beads being adapted for engaging the bottom side edges of the containers, and said support having peripheral upstanding container engaging means co-operating with said beads to removably maintain the containers in position.

. 2. A structure asspecified in-claim 1, said sheet metal support havingperipheral notches where formed with said upturned edges opposite said beads.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said rotary support having peripheral notches therein, defining the divisions between the sections, with the apex of each notch in alignment with one of the plurality of radial beadson the upper surface of the rotary support.

4. A rotary support for a circular group of wedge-shaped containers, formed with peripheral notches opposite the radial divisions between said containers, and with a separate upstanding flange for each side of each notch, entirely within the notch, adapted to hold the containers against unintentional outward displacement.

5. Ina food container, a turntable or rotary support adapted to receive and hold a plurality of wedge-shaped containers arranged in annular group formation thereon, with the converging sides of the containers opposing each other, said support having its outer edge formed with peripheral notches defining the vertical junctions between the containers, means on the upper surface of the support'for positioning the containers thereon, said turntable having other notches for the outer edges thereof, one for the middle of the cry of said support, alternating with said notches andadapted to engage the lower portions of the containers to resist outward movement of the latter.

7. A structure as specified in claim 6, each of said notches being located substantially at the middle of the outer side of its allotted container.

8. A structure as specified in claim 6, said notches being uniformly spaced apart, thus requiring containers of the same or uniform width.

9. A structure as specified in claim 6, and engaging means on the top surface of said support in the vertical planes of the opposing sides of said containers, for providing circumferential displacement of the containers on the support.

10. In a rotary food container group, a practically flat rotary support for a group of containers, and a base upon which said support is pivoted to rotate about a central vertical axis, said support having its outer edge provided with pairs of upturned flanges, arranged at angles to each other, for resisting both radial and circumferential displacement of the containers, with the outwardly converging ends of each pair of flanges spaced apart to permit the containers to project outwardly a distance between said ends, and the formation of the outer edge of the support exposing a portion of the bottom of each container at the middle of the outer end thereof.

11. A structure as specified in claim 10, the support being also formed with re-entrant portions at its outer edge, defining divisions between containers, and forming spaces between inwardly converging ends of flanges.

12. A structure as specified in claim 10, said support having a plurality of uniform maximum diameters at points between the outer ends of outwardly converging flanges.

13. In a rotary food container group, a base having a rotary support for a plurality of containers, said support having its outer edge formed with integral pairs of flanges, one pair for each container, the members of each pair converging outwardly. for engaging the bottom portion of the container, to prevent outward displacement of the containers, serving also to prevent circumferential displacement thereof, the outer edge of the support being interrupted at intervals to extend under the bottom of each container at distance back from the middle of the outer end of each container, exposing a portion of the bottom thereof.

14. In a rotary food container group, a practically flat rotary support for a group of containers, and a base upon which said support is pivoted to rotate about a central vertical axis, said support having its outer edge provided with pairs of outwardly converging upturned flanges, arranged with the members of each pair at an angle of not over ninety degrees to each other,

for resisting both radial and circumferential displacement of the containers, with the outwardly converging ends of each pair of formly spaced apart to expose the outer sides of the containers at the base thereof, the outer ends of said flanges being disposed a uniform distance from said axis and the formation of the outer edge of the support exposing a portion of the bottom of each container.

15. A structure as specified in claim 14, there being a separate pair of said flanges for eachcontainer, so that there are twice as many separate flanges as there are containers, with definite spaces between the pairs opposite the divi sions between the containers.

LEWIS H. SCURLOCK.

flanges uni- 

